Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to captain the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Having recovered from his injury, Hardik has joined the Mumbai Indians camp. He was appointed captain in place of Rohit Sharma. Hardik was the captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT) during the previous two IPL seasons.
Hardik Pandya's Pain Spills Over
During the Cricket World Cup 2023, Hardik suffered an injury that sidelined him from the action. He was injured in his left ankle during a match against Bangladesh, causing a ligament tear. This forced Hardik to quit the World Cup midway.
Opening up about the injury and his premature exit from the World Cup, Hardik Pandya expressed his heartache. He mentioned that he did everything possible to get fit. The regret of not playing entirely in the World Cup will forever weigh on his heart. Due to the swelling, he had to have blood drawn from his ankle.
Speaking to Star Sports, Hardik said, 'I had to take three different injections on my heel and had blood drawn from my ankle due to the swelling. I didn't want to give up. I'm always determined to give my best for the team. If there's even a 1% chance of a comeback for the team, I try my utmost.'
Source: aajtak
He continued, 'I knew that if I pushed myself too hard to recover from the injury, I could be sidelined for a long time. When I was giving it my all, it turned into an injury that took three months to heal. I couldn't walk, yet I tried to run at that moment.'
'The Greatest Pride is Playing for the Country'
Pandya added, 'When I was sidelined from the field due to the injury, I informed the team that I would return in five days. I strived for 10 days to make a comeback, even taking painkillers to rejoin the team. But it was a different kind of injury, and very few were aware of its nature. My greatest pride is playing for my country. I wanted to play in the World Cup on home ground at all costs, so I wanted to be there for my team.'
On rejoining his old team Mumbai Indians, Hardik stated, 'Mumbai city taught me resilience, humility, and the hunger to improve. MI played a significant role in shaping me as a cricketer. Mumbai always challenges you to do better, and now I am returning home after two years in the IPL.'
Mumbai Indians have been crucial in nurturing Hardik Pandya's career trajectory. Mumbai brought him on board for INR 10 lakh in 2015. Hardik has been part of the Mumbai Indians team that won the IPL titles in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. He stayed with Mumbai till IPL 2021, after which he was released ahead of the 2022 mega auction.
